Althouse: "Have you noticed all the huge antiwar demonstrations in the last twelve months? Yeah, me neither."

April 20, 2011

"Have you noticed all the huge antiwar demonstrations in the last twelve months? Yeah, me neither."

"It turns out that a lot of the energy for the movement seems to have been provided by Democrats who are a lot less worried about wars conducted by Democratic presidents."

I have not noticed huge antiwar demonstrations in the last decade, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin, a place where, if there are going to be demonstrations somewhere, there will be demonstrations. During the height of President Bush's wars, I saw only small demonstrations, peopled by folks who look like they'd been around to demonstrate against the Vietnam War. I saw students stream by, showing very little interest.

34 comments:

chickelit said...: No draft.; 4/20/11, 1:47 PM
Ricardo said...: The same inner unhappiness, is just being manifested in different ways, and in other kinds of demonstrations.; 4/20/11, 1:50 PM
Alex said...: The raging hypocrisy never fails to astound me.; 4/20/11, 1:52 PM
tom faranda said...: well you must have missed the very big deomonstrations in NY City when we were considering invading/liberating Iraq. I thought you readthe NY Times every day.

I'd say the post is correct - it was more Anti-Bush then anti-war. Libya is OK because it's on Obama's watch so must be justifiable.; 4/20/11, 1:53 PM
Lukedog said...: There was a sizable anti-war demonstration in Madison last month.

There has been one there since the beginning of the Iraq war, (on it's anniversary, so this year made 8)

Remember...Meade was trying to humiliate the woman with the "War is not healthy for children and other living things" sign?; 4/20/11, 1:54 PM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)
Libya is OK because it's on Obama's watch so must be justifiable.

Repeat after me, “Obama is awesome.”

There was a sizable anti-war demonstration in Madison last month.

Yes I remember it was on the CBS Evening News and the NYT covered it…and oh wait…..; 4/20/11, 1:56 PM
Chuck66 said...: I think conservatives are more anti-war right now.

About a year ago, read something Cindy Shehan (sp) said. She actually got it. She realized Big Media was using her as a way to attack President Bush. Once Obama got in office, she suddenly became invisable.; 4/20/11, 2:00 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "There was a sizable anti-war demonstration in Madison last month."

The size was small. Not huge.; 4/20/11, 2:02 PM
vbspurs said...: Forget the huge anti-war protests, where are the bleating of New York Times sheep about gas prices???

Yesterday, I paid 4 bucks and a quarter at BP. This is the most I've ever paid for premium in an US gas station, and that's only because I can't afford my usual Shell, which is at almost $4.50.

If Bush were still in office, we'd be treated to DAILY articles about the price of gas, with its attendant hysteria about how bad a president he is.

But for Barack Obama? Silence. That's practically a campaign contribution by MSM.

Cheers,
Victoria; 4/20/11, 2:03 PM
TosaGuy said...: If only the collective bargaining privilege reform bill could be tied to Libya. Libya has oil, Koch Bros in oil business.....Moamar is the third Koch Brother!; 4/20/11, 2:04 PM
Lukedog said...: At least double, possibly triple what showed up for Palin. I was there. for both.; 4/20/11, 2:05 PM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)
Forget the huge anti-war protests, where are the bleating of New York Times sheep about gas prices???

High petrol prices are GOOD, they reduce traffic accidents and deaths, they reduce airport and vacation destination congestion, they lower pollution, they lead to greater family togetherness, I could go on, just remember all these positives, brought to you by a Democrat in office.; 4/20/11, 2:06 PM
Lukedog said...: I mean to say, in support of Palin; 4/20/11, 2:06 PM
TosaGuy said...: I was at the WI Vets Museum a few years ago on the Iraq invasion anniversary and remember 50 or so folks doing something protest-related for an hour and they left once the cameras did. The vast majority of pedestrians walked by as if nothing was happening.

However, later that day, the museum was defaced.; 4/20/11, 2:07 PM
paminwi said...: Do we need to be reminded about what hypocrites the Democrats are? Just look at any and all wars. What the hell would they have said if Bush had said "kinetic military action". The crap that would have been spewed would have been all over the airwaves for days and days and then brought up again at any opportunity.

What about gas prices - have we heard anything about "excess profits" and how we should make those big, bad corporations pay?

How about the "death squads" in Afghanistan? What our soldiers did by killing civilians, I believe is worse than Abu Gharib (I don't condone what happened there) but have you seen much coverage of that tragedy? Have we had any hearings about that on Capitol Hill? I believe Carl Levin held some on Abu Gharib? Why not on this issue?

Because Democrats are hypocrites in so many, many ways!; 4/20/11, 2:16 PM
John said...: I wonder where the breaking point will be? It's not as if there isn't any petroleum out there. At some point, people will decide "enough is enough" and start putting pressure on the government to allow drilling. Then the petroleum producers of the world, who want to maintain their position in the market, will increase production, prices will drop (although not to truly reasonable levels), and the hue and cry will subside until the next production bottleneck and price spike.; 4/20/11, 2:17 PM
traditionalguy said...: Somebody organize an anti-Afghan war demonstration and I will attend and shout for the truth about that useless destruction of our military that Obama wants to increase as fast as he can get away with it. There is oil at stake in Iraq and Libya and a victory there is possible which makes those wars debatable uses of the military. Afghanistan is a long death march for the US military for no reason at all.; 4/20/11, 2:18 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: The wars are no longer important. The daily military KIA counts are no longer important. Photographs of of military caskets are no longer important. Hell, even Libya is no longer important since Barack couldn't bring home an easy win.; 4/20/11, 2:23 PM
PaulV said...: What war. There was no stinkin war.
TX democrats want to run general in charge of Abu Ghraib for senate.; 4/20/11, 2:25 PM
PaulV said...: What war. There was no stinkin war.
TX democrats want to run general in charge of Abu Ghraib for senate.; 4/20/11, 2:25 PM
Original Mike said...: “Obama is awesome.”

Totally.; 4/20/11, 2:32 PM
Unknown said...: This is the way it always has been.

Most guys "protesting" the Vietnam War were there to get laid by the hippie chicks. At the time, I thought, "When the blush wears off, they'll all go back to Daddy's stock brokerage firm". Ten years later, they were filling the discos.

The only one of them to show the slightest whiff of integrity was Joan Baez, who protested the killing fields and the political re-education camps as hard as she did the war.

The people whining about non-existent torture today are the same ones who bled all over the floor for the Vietnamese people only as long as there was a chance they might get drafted.

vbspurs said...

Forget the huge anti-war protests, where are the bleating of New York Times sheep about gas prices???

Yesterday, I paid 4 bucks and a quarter at BP. This is the most I've ever paid for premium in an US gas station, and that's only because I can't afford my usual Shell, which is at almost $4.50.

If Bush were still in office, we'd be treated to DAILY articles about the price of gas, with its attendant hysteria about how bad a president he is.

But for Barack Obama? Silence. That's practically a campaign contribution by MSM.

Cheers,
Victoria

Don't you remember 4 years ago when gas was flirting with $3 a gallon? There were articles about how badly Duya was handling things all the time.

How times change.; 4/20/11, 2:34 PM
chickelit said...: What about gas prices - have we heard anything about "excess profits" and how we should make those big, bad corporations pay?

I suspect we'll hear quite a bit as quarterly earnings get reported. The "obscene" profits will be touted as reason for higher taxation instead of capital for greater exploration.

The plan is to shunt those profits into more windmills.; 4/20/11, 2:40 PM
Original Mike said...: "Don't you remember 4 years ago when gas was flirting with $3 a gallon? There were articles about how badly Duya was handling things all the time."

Yeah, but Obama is awesome.; 4/20/11, 2:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Do we need to be reminded about what hypocrites the Democrats are?

Self-righteous Pharisees are always hypocrites.; 4/20/11, 2:45 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: There's no draft. That's why it's not the 1960s. That's the only reason.; 4/20/11, 2:51 PM
Lance said...: Interesting. So Madison lefties consider collective bargaining for state employees more important than elective invasions.; 4/20/11, 3:25 PM
Methadras said...: No, the only wars these ideological misfits care about is the war against their taxpayer funded paychecks.; 4/20/11, 3:26 PM
LarryK said...: There were definitely large protests in March 2003, right before the start of the Iraq War. I remember walking through an extremely angry, vocal crowd on the square one March 2003 night, when I was working late downtown, on my way to dinner. Not much after the war started, though.; 4/20/11, 3:50 PM
foxlets14 said...: I haven't forgotten all those NOT IN MY NAME signs in practically every yard in the West Lawn area of Madison. I found them particularly offensive because at the time my son was risking his neck flying off carriers on their behalf, whether they liked it or not. Since I was visiting my grandchildren and time was short, I chose to subvert my baser instincts. In view of recent events in Madison I'm sorry that I did.; 4/20/11, 4:18 PM
Toad Trend said...: No longer the cause du jour. The wars do not go right to their base like the unions an imaginary rights do.

"I saw students stream by, showing very little interest."

Most people hadn't yet forgotten 9/11.; 4/20/11, 4:35 PM
Phil 314 said...: Well to be fair I've seen some rumbling/grumbling on the left, but
no puppets; 4/20/11, 5:45 PM
ampersand said...: Don't forget John Kerry and the dems were in a red white and blue gook killing mood when L Butcher J was mismanaging the war. When Nixon took over ,Kerry denounced his fellow vets and threw someone else's medals over the White House fence.

BTW, gas prices are rising not because of low production,but because of Bernacke bucks flooding the market. As Joe points out, the MSM is getting ready to O-Gas-m over high gas prices much like they did funemployement.; 4/20/11, 7:09 PM
D&D said...: Yes, but what happened to all the WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER lawn signs? When I moved to the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood 2 years ago they were everywhere. Within days/weeks of Obama's election they disappeared. I don't think there is even one left. I often wonder did they send out a memo? Or is the group-think just that effective.; 4/20/11, 8:01 PM